The present invention relates generally to computer systems and more particularly to the use of pointing devices in such computer systems.
FIG. 1 is a pictorial view of a computer system. The computer system includes a monitor 12 with a keyboard 16 and a computing unit coupled to the monitor 14. Typically, connected to the computing unit is a pointing device such as a mouse 18 which is controlled by a user""s hand 20. In such a system, if a person has some type of tremor disorder it could affect the use of the pointing device 18 by the user 20.
Essential tremor (ET), characterized by rhythmic xe2x80x9cback and forthxe2x80x9d movement from involuntary musculature contraction, affects as many as 1 in 20 people over 40 and 1 in 5 people over 65. With the exception of stroke, essential tremor is more common than any other neurological disease, affecting over 5 million Americans. It is very difficult for people with ET to effectively use a handheld computer pointing device, such as a mouse, due to continuous hand displacement caused by tremor. Tracking tasks and tasks where the individual must click on a small target (e.g., the xe2x80x9cclose windowxe2x80x9d button in a graphical user interface) are especially difficult.
Accordingly, what is needed is a system and method for responding to essential tremors when using a pointing device that is simple, easy to implement and is acceptable to many different individuals. The present invention addresses such a need.
A system and method for minimizing essential tremor effects while utilizing a pointing device on a computer system is disclosed. The system and method comprises obtaining an individual""s tremor characteristics and calculating the frequency components of the tremor to obtain digital filter coefficients. The method and system further includes creating a calibration profile comprised of the digital coefficient that plugs into a pointing device driver; and utilizing the modified device driver to eliminate the effects of the essential tremors.
The system and method includes a software tuning algorithm used to obtain an individual""s tremor characteristics. A spectral analysis system will calculate the frequency components of the tremor and digital filter coefficients will be saved as a calibration profile. The system and method further includes a device driver modified by calibration profile created from the tuning algorithm. The modified device driver will filter the pointing device input data based on the filter coefficients saved in the calibration profile and eliminate tremor effects from the on-screen pointer.
Because the calibration profile is transferable, if a device driver capable of accepting the calibration profile plug-in were already installed on a computer, the profile could be loaded and used immediately on the computer without the need for re-calibration.